The Office and Preparation Rooms at the Factory Front
The Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Office and Preparation Building (羽前絹練株式会社事務所及び仕立棟, Uzen Kenren Kabushiki-gaisha Jimusho oyobi Shitatetō) is a timber office and preparation building built in 1940 and extended in the mid-Shōwa period in the northeast corner of the Uzen Kenren silk-scouring works in Shinkaicho, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, and it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on December 3, 2024.
The national record lists a timber building, single-story with a partial second floor, with a tile roof and a building area of 705 square meters, the largest of the seven. A two-story office with its entrance on the north joins a single-story preparation wing to the south. It is registration number 06-0222.
The preparation wing holds a 140-mat room where bolts of cloth are wound onto wooden frames and made ready for scouring. It is where incoming fabric is first handled before moving north to the Scouring Building.
Why the Office and Preparation Building Was Registered
The Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Office and Preparation Building was registered under the criterion for buildings that contribute to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that its overlapping gabled roofs form the public face of the works.
The stepped roofs of office and preparation wing meet the road at the northeast corner and serve as the company's frontage. A preparation room of 140 mats speaks to the scale of a works that long handled the silk scouring of the whole district.
What to Look For
From the road, look at the two-story office with its north entrance and the roofs of the single-story wing stretching behind it. The Japan Heritage guide singles out the black board fence and the pine by the gate as a thoroughly Japanese front.
Because part of it was added in the mid-Shōwa period, the roofs vary in height and direction, and their overlapping gables give the entrance to the works a calm character.
Visiting the Office and Preparation Building
Uzen Kenren is a working factory, and no public tour program has been confirmed. Stay outside the grounds and view what you can from the road. Directions are on the Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. page.
The office stands at the northeast corner and is the easiest of the seven buildings to see from the road.
Q&A
- What is the Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Office and Preparation Building used for?
- It combines a two-story office with a single-story wing holding a 140-mat room where bolts of cloth are wound onto frames for scouring.
- When was the Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Office and Preparation Building built and registered?
- It was built in 1940 and extended in the mid-Shōwa period, and registered on December 3, 2024, under registration number 06-0222.
- How large is the Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Office and Preparation Building?
- A timber building of 705 square meters, single-story with a partial second floor, the largest of the seven.
- Why was the Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Office and Preparation Building registered?
- Its overlapping gabled roofs form the public face of the works.
- Can I visit the Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Office and Preparation Building?
- No public tours have been confirmed; it stands at the northeast corner and can be seen from the road.
Basic Information
| Name | Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Office and Preparation Building (羽前絹練株式会社事務所及び仕立棟) |
|---|---|
| Location | 21-5 Shinkaicho and other lots, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | 2024 (registered) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single story with partial second floor, tile roof, building area 705 m² |
| Owner | Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (working factory; exterior from the road) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. Office and Preparation Building
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00015132
- Japan Heritage Portal (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Uzen Kenren Co., Ltd. (Japanese)
- https://japan-heritage.bunka.go.jp/ja/culturalproperties/result/2980/
Last verified: 2026.10.06
